This invention relates generally to hair dryer accessories and more particularly concerns a shield for redirecting the flow of warm air emanating from hood-type hair dryers commonly used in beauty parlors and salons.
Commonly used hood-type hair dryers cause a flow of warm air to pass radially over the scalp of the subject so that some of the warm air is irreversibly discharged from the dryer hood at its periphery. This loss of heat reduces the efficiency of operation of the dryer. Over and above this inefficiency, the discharged warm air is generally directed downwardly toward exposed-skin areas of the subject such as the face, shoulders, ears and neck. The direct and continuous application of heat to these areas is a source of discomfort and stress to the subject throughout the hair drying procedure.
Many attempts have been made to solve the latter problem. Shields have been devised in the shape of a truncated cone to be seated or held in place along its narrow diameter on the subject's head immediately below the hairline. The cone extends down to its widest diameter at the bottom so as to direct the flow of air in a downward direction but away from the subject's exposed skin areas. These conical shields are typically formed from flat sheets of paper or other relatively stiff material having an inner somewhat circular opening and an outer somewhat circular perimeter with a radial cut which permits overlapping of the paper to form a cone of size suited to the subject. One of a variety of mechanisms are incorporated into the shield for connecting the overlapped ends to prevent the sheet from returning to the flat condition during use. These shields must be assembled or adjusted before they are used. They are not readily, if at all, contourable to follow the hairline of the subject. They do not absorb or, if they do, are damaged by, accumulation of hairline moisture, though a separate moisture-absorbing piece of material has been attached to some of these shields. They are generally not washable or reusable. They do not facilitate recycling of discharged warm air back to the scalp and, therefore, do not have any positive effect on the efficiency of the dryer. While they may alleviate heat related discomfort to exposed skin areas to some degree, their relatively rigid construction results in gaps between portions of their inner openings and the hairline so that some of the discharged air is still directed at the areas intended to be protected. Furthermore, their structural rigidity causes discomfort at the contacted exposed skin areas of the subject.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide, for use with a hood-type hair dryer, a heat deflector which tends to deflect the flow of discharged warm air away from the exposed-skin areas below the hairline of the subject. Another object of this invention is to provide, for use with a hood-type hair dryer, a heat deflector which tends to redirect the flow of discharged warm air back into the hood of the hair dryer. A further object of this invention is to provide, for use with a hood-type hair dryer, a heat deflector which enhances the efficiency of the hair dryer. Yet another object of this invention is to provide, for use with a hood-type hair dryer, a heat deflector which is conducive to the comfort of the subject during the operation of the dryer. It is also an object of this invention to provide, for use with a hood-type hair dryer, a heat deflector which is of unitary construction. Still another object of this invention is to provide, for use with a hood-type hair dryer, a heat deflector which requires no connecting components to secure the deflector in place below the hairline of the subject. An additional object of this invention is to provide, for use with a hood-type hair dryer, a heat deflector which is soft at all contact points with the subject. Another object of this invention is to provide, for use with a hood-type hair dryer, a heat deflector which requires no assembly or adjustments in preparation for being worn by the subject. A further object of this invention is to provide, for use with a hood-type hair dryer, a heat deflector which is capable of contouring to the head of the subject. Yet another object of this invention is to provide, for use with a hood-type hair dryer, a heat deflector which can absorb moisture which may accumulate at the subject's hairline during the operation of the dryer. It is also an object of this invention is to provide, for use with a hood-type hair dryer, a heat deflector which is washable. Still another object of this invention is to provide, for use with a hood-type hair dryer, a heat deflector which is reusable. And it is an object of this invention to provide, for use with a hood-type hair dryer, a heat deflector which can reasonably be so modestly priced as to be treated as a throw-away device.